The invention relates to a driveway signaling device. In particular, the invention is a signaling device that is positioned at the end of a driveway, adjacent to the street. The device alerts a vehicle about to exit the driveway of the presence of any object, person, or animal approaching or crossing in front of the driveway.
Drivers of motor vehicles often experience a greater degree of difficulty seeing objects in their path of travel when driving in reverse. This is due largely in part to the different steering movements involved with moving backwards, as well as the decreased visibility afforded the driver by structure of the vehicle. Thus, rearwardly exiting from a driveway can be a stressful ordeal, especially if the driveway is on a street with substantial traffic flow. It is difficult for the driver to concentrate on backing the vehicle out of the driveway, while having to also watch for oncoming traffic, pedestrians, people on bicycles, and animals crossing in front of the driveway.
Thus, there exists a need for a driveway signaling device that alerts a driver of movement on either side of the driveway. Such a device would be equipped with motion detectors that are in communication with a set of lights positioned on the device. According to the light that is illuminated, the driver can tell whether or not it is safe to proceed out of the driveway.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,298 to Dombrowski discloses a driver alerting device that is specifically configured for alerting the driver of a motor vehicle to the presence of any objects in close proximity behind the vehicle. However, the device is mounted at the rear end of a vehicle and is in communication with the back-up lights and air brakes of the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,337 to Conn, Jr. et al. discloses a driveway safety light that signals to anyone passing in front of the driveway that a motor vehicle is about to exit therefrom. However, the safety light is not configured to alert a driver about to exit the driveway that someone is crossing the path of the driveway.
While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved driveway signaling device. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved driveway signaling device which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a driveway signaling device for detecting motion in a street immediately in front of a driveway and alerting a driver about to exit the driveway of such movement. The device has a pole, a motion detecting assembly mounted on the pole, and an anchor for anchoring the pole into the ground. The motion detecting assembly is mounted near the pole top, including a pair of motion detectors that extend outward from the sides of the pole in opposite directions for detecting motion in either direction in the street. The assembly has, a xe2x80x9credxe2x80x9d light, a xe2x80x9cgreenxe2x80x9d light, a power source, and a logic device connecting the motion detectors to the pair of lights and the power source. Upon detection of movement, the xe2x80x9credxe2x80x9d light is illuminated, signaling to the driver that it is not safe to exit from the driveway. When no movement is detected for a predetermined time period, the xe2x80x9cgreenxe2x80x9d light is illuminated, signaling to the driver that it is safe to proceed out of the driveway.
It is an object of the invention to produce a driveway signaling device that alerts a driver to the presence of an object, person, or animal moving behind the vehicle. Accordingly, the signaling device is semi-permanently mounted in the ground at the driveway opening to signal the driver when approaching the signaling device whether it is safe to proceed into the street.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a driveway signaling device which securely mounts in place and resists theft. Accordingly, an anchor mounts within the ground, and the pole is attached to the anchor such that it may be only detached by unlocking an access door.
To the accomplishment of the above and related objects the invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Attention is called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only. Variations are contemplated as being part of the invention, limited only by the scope of the claims.